Stephanie is a sophomore majoring in accounting in Cox School of Business and Spanish in Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, with a minor in music in Meadows School of the Arts. During spring 2013, she is participating in SMU-in-Spain and is looking forward to immersing herself in Spanish culture.

The adventure begins…

What better way to start 2013 than a semester in Spain? I can’t believe I leave in just fourteen hours to embark on what I know will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Whenever the topic of me studying abroad came up, I found myself facing the “Are you excited?” question pretty often. And believe me, I am so excited – I have wanted to study abroad since high school, but I’m definitely feeling a number of other emotions, especially now that it is actually happening. I’m nervous… worried about getting homesick… and already miss my family and friends.

As someone who has never truly left home (SMU is about thirty minutes away), I will be the little bird leaving the nest for the first time in her life. I will be on my own, but I know that this experience will teach me (forcefully, at times) so much, much more than I could have learned back at home.

A side project I hope to maintain is to keep a journal and write about my day… in Spanish. I think it’s a good idea since it’ll sharpen my Spanish writing skills. Luckily I brought my Spanish-English dictionary. I have a feeling I’ll be using it a lot more than I thought for the first couple of weeks.

I have my visa. My bags are packed. I’ve said my “see you soon” (not goodbye). Ready or not, Spain, here I come!